Clear focus for Clinton
THE GLASSES worn by Hillary Clinton at a testy hearing on Capitol Hill during the week were far more than a dramatic prop. They indicate that the United States secretary of state is still suffering blurred vision, weeks after suffering a concussion.
In a bravura performance before Congress, Clinton repeatedly readjusted her glasses as she exchanged withering looks with her Republican inquisitors, some of whom suggested that she should have been fired or censured over a terrorist attack on a US consulate in Libya.
A State Department spokesman confirmed yesterday that she was wearing the spectacles as part of her recuperation. Medical specialists said that on each lens, she appeared to have a Fresnel prism – adhesive panels used to treat double vision or blurred sight.
Her latest health issue comes after weeks of concern over a lengthy bout of stomach flu, a concussion suffered in a fall, and a blood clot found next to her brain. Health fears have prompted speculation that she may reconsider plans to run for president in 2016.
Philippe Reines, one of her closest aides, said: ‘‘She’ll be wearing these glasses instead of her contacts for a time because of lingering issues stemming from her concussion. With them on, she sees just fine.’’
Whatever the precise medical explanation, Clinton put her glasses to great use during the congressional hearing on Thursday. New York magazine printed a photo essay that included some of her most dramatic eyewear readjustments. The captions included: ‘‘The ‘Is This Dude For Real?’ Adjustment’’ and ‘‘The ‘I’m So Going to Veto All of Your Bills When I’m President’ Adjustment’’. Reines said she ‘‘got a kick’’ out of the photos.
Clinton said last year that she intended to step down as secretary of state.